adding hours to new hour meter, or not?

[DaveNTL]

My engine hour meter stopped working some while back and I bought a new one which now shows about 1300 hours less than the actual total engine run hours. I don't like this both for my own use now but especially when I come to sell the boat. I'd feel obliged to say - 'that isn't true' and then have to go on to explain why. I'd feel less inclined to say anything if I knew that the meter was a true reflection of the hours.

So if I was to do this how do I go about it?

There is a spindle under the glass with a red knob which it seems to me can only be used for winding on numbers, except there doesn't seem to be a way of getting at it as the glass is sealed I think. Havent applied (much) force to test this though. Is that what it is?

If this spindle isn't meant to be used to adjust the hours how about attaching the meter to a 12V battery and letting it run until it gets to the current run time?

Then I wonder - if I attach it to 24V would this advance it twice as fast or will I just break it and have to buy yet another new meter?

Advice and comments appreciated.

 

[Chris_Robb]

If it is controlled by a current, then just leave it in for the required lenght of time in your garage before you fit it.

Otherwise record the actual hours in the ships log so that you can give provenance to the figures in your new one. Other than that it really does not matter. I don't think that I would bother to advance the engine hours (I have just fitted one - but have no idea what hours the engine has done so far

 

[VicS]

Very unlikely that it it will run twice as fast on 24volts. More likely that you will burn it out if it's a 12V instrument.

If the red knob were accessible I would think it is more likely to be for zeroing a different version of the same or similar instrument.

I'd do as Chris_Robb suggests record the reading on the old one and the fact that you fitted the new one. File the instructions and the receipt and a record of the reading on the old one with the other instructions and documents that you will pass on when you sell the boat. Any prospective new owner will be impressed that you have gone to that much trouble.

It would be just plain daft to damage or break it trying to get at a knob that might not do what you want!

 

[GSL]

I have just faced the same dilema all new gauges fitted to the Generator control board, the old ones were manky and not working correctly, the hour meter was the only one that appeared to function properly.

Could not find replacement gauges that matched the hour meter, 10 year old Sea Ray.

Bought new set of 4 gauges, so connected the hour meter to a 12 volt battery and left it for about two months to get up to 1440 hours, problem solved. I will keep the old one to show any purchaser, as previous survey includes hour meter reading, but regardless it would be a constant source of annoyance to me knowing it was not correct.

 

[VicS]

It looks as though on other meters that central spindle carries a pointer that runs around a scale 0 to 60 presumably recording minutes.

The fronts are designed to be water resistant to IP65 if the instrument is installed in accordance with IEC 529

 

[simonfraser]

i'd keep the old one and leave the new one as it is

 

[Gin]

If you meddle with the new guage it becomes a fiction.

You do not intend to deceive- anyone who did would not be worried as you are- so start afresh with the new guage and keep the old one which shows the usage to the changeover point and explain the situation to a buyer.

No fraudster would do that (which clearly you are not), so the situation must be clear, mustn't it?

 

[DaveNTL]

[ QUOTE ]
If you meddle with the new guage it becomes a fiction.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do see that point as well which is why I'm pondering on here. The other way of looking at it is that if left as it is it's fiction because it's 1300 hours out.

My first consideration is my own ease of use for maintenance. I don't want to have to always mentally add the old hours to the new hours and divide by a service / inspection period to know something needs doing.

Anyway, thanks everyone.

 

[cliff]

The meter you show in your pic looks very similar to mine. The little red cross is only an indicator that the meter is clocking the hours. On mine it rotates in a jerky motion just like the second hand on a cheap watch rather than a smooth "sweep".

To wind it on connect to a 12v power source and leave for the requisite number of days/months to show the hours you want. 24v will in all likelyhood damage the unit.
---------------------

Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity

 

[DaveNTL]

ah ok! cheers Cliff. I have the same meter on the generator too and must admit I've never noticed the red knob go round. I'll watch in the morning with me coffee. If I sit watching it now and the Mrs gets up she'll really think I've lost the plot. As well as having finished off the rum. Which I have. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[cliffordpope]

I can't bear having meters that are inaccurate. When replacing car odometers I have always clocked them, forwards or backwards, to match the mileage shown by their predecessor.

If you had fitted a new engine you would want to zero the hours running meter, surely?

 

[Twister_Ken]

If you want to plug it into a 12v source, you'll have to leave it 54 days to rack up 1300 hours, so you'll barely have it for this season!

 

[MoodySabre]

I wouldn't worry about it. Mine wasn't working when I bought the boat and it showed 2700 - don't know how long ago it failed. I fitted a new one so I can use it for fuel estimates and service intervals. Low or high hours are no guarantee of condition so why worry. Keep the old one as proof if you think it is relevant. I'd rather an engineer looked at an engine and said it was OK or not.

 

[DaveNTL]

[ QUOTE ]
If you want to plug it into a 12v source, you'll have to leave it 54 days to rack up 1300 hours, so you'll barely have it for this season!

[/ QUOTE ]

My season ends on 3rd July when the boat gets buried in a hole in the ground until october / november, so plenty of time for all these little projects. e.g. I'm yet to find a good source (i.e. reasonable price) for proper traffolite labels. Timpsons on the high street are outrageous.

Moodysabre - It seems there is an even split of 'Just leave it' people and 'It would irritate me if left' people. I wanted to do a poll for that bit but didn't know how. Anyway, it seems I'm firmly in the latter category. I spend a long time on the boat and any little thing that I don't think is right just irks away at me.

 

[Dave99]

sounds like a call to the manufacturer may be in order

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
I wanted to do a poll for that bit but didn't know how

[/ QUOTE ] Simple (fairly) but maybe you can't do it from quick reply (Don't know as I have that facility turned off)
You tick the box to add a poll. Enter the number of questions, in this case leave at 1. Tick the I want to preview my post box so that you can check you have not done something daft.
Press continue

Type in the question Should I add the extra hours or not and the number of choices 2 or perhaps 3 if you want to include who cares as an option.

Leave the choose only one button selected
Press continue Enter in the options Yes, No & Who cares and press continue again
Enable start and stop times if you wish and enter dates and times if you wish or let it start immediately and run forever.

Tick the Force users to vote before viewing results box press continue to see the preview and then if OK Submit it.